Fallen Marine’s family claims reporter played “race card”

The mother of fallen Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta is accusing a Washington Post reporter of “playing the race card” when interviewing her about accounts of her son’s heroic actions.

The accusation comes in the wake of a story by Ernesto Londono quoting Marines who say Peralta never covered a live grenade in Fallujah to save his comrades, as his Medal of Honor nomination attested. Two Marines in Peralta’s unit suggested the story of Peralta’s extraordinary heroism had been following his death, in light of the fact he was likely killed as a result of friendly fire, according to the story.

In the wake of that story, other Marines who served with Peralta have reaffirmed their account of events. One, Robert Reynolds, said he was in the grenade’s kill zone and owed his life to Peralta.

Peralta’s family is now firing back as well. Through family spokesman George Sabga, Rosa Peralta accused Londono of baiting her with questions about whether she believed Peralta was denied the medal because he was Hispanic, or Latino. Sabga also wrote that there was nothing new in accounts that Marines had been pressured to fabricate a story after Peralta’s death; this claim was made at the time of the 2005 command investigation, and the investigating officer found no evidence to support it.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., also penned a letter to the Post, challenging the story on a number of factual points.

“Each Marine in that room is entitled to their own truth,” he wrote in the letter, reviewed by Marine Corps Times. “That is something about combat that everyone must always respect–but the evidence does not lie. There is no protest that the eyewitness accounts have always differed, but to ignore the full body of evidence is unfortunate and fails to accurately describe the entire situation.”

A spokeswoman for the Washington Post told the Washington Times that the Post stands by its story.

7 Comments

I do not understand why, right away they start using the race card. If it doesn’t go their way, the race card comes out. Really? There was a father that was saying only minorities were being killed, really because the bullets knew who were minorities and who weren’t. These awards are investigated very carefully and if it’s not rated, it’s not rated.

How come his Navy Cross citation says the grenade landed by his head and without hesitation pulled the grenade in and shielded the blast and saved his fellow Marines. Basically same thing Corporal Dunham did right? And the investigators are saying he wasn’t conscious and couldn’t have smothered the grenade. Very contradicting. Peralta was a immigrant from Mexico and became a citizen while he was in the Corps. I smell rat!!! I think race is very much a factor in the case and that his family and him were illegal immigrants is a big factor why he didn’t receive it. That’s are big rich, white, corrupt, racist congress for you. That’s a shame, cause I’m white and a veteran too and think Peralta and his family is getting “FUCKED” by these losers Congress, very sad to say the least.

Brian, why does that matter? The big push is the opposite, due to falling troops we should be offering citizenship to illegals as a way to bolster numbers. That means he would be doing what they are wanting and it is the opposite…he is a hero.